The overall rating of a review is different from a simple average of all individual ratings.
Advantages:
Lots of attractions, Port Aventura, nice beaches, lots of hotels, restaurants, 1hr from Barcelona, a bit more unusual that the usual Spanish holiday resort
Disadvantages:
Can get very got in peak season, monsoons occasionally (we had the misfortune to have one whilst we stayed and it was the most rain I have witnessed in my LIFE ! )
I visited Salou on Spain's Costa Dorada in May 1996. A lot of Salou is fairly "concrete jungle"-ish but there are lots of nice parts too. The beaches are lovely and clean and full of clear blue medditerranean ocean.
The main town centre of Salout is fairly small but not tiny. There are shops, restaurants, a funfair, and a lovely promenade walk alongside lots of very tall palm trees on either side.
There are plenty of hotels in Salou and the standard varies. We stayed in the "Cala Font", which was a very large 6-storey hotel and was excellent. The pool was great, the staff very pleasant and the food above average.
Salou has many attractions both in the town of Salou and neighbouring towns. For example, the theme park "Port Aventura" is excellent and features many great rides, shows, and attractions. Read my review of that in the theme parks section. There is also a very large aquapark in the neighbouring town of La Pineda, which unfortunately was closed when we went as we went out of season (May). Be warned, if you want to make the most of the arractions you will have to go in peak season, ie. June-September. However, most attractions were open when we went. La Pineda also has an excellent weekly market selling many interesting things which you cannot buy in the UK. Another great local town is Cambrils, which is a small fishing port with lots of seafood restaurants serving food from the local port.
Also, the capital of the Costa Dorada and host to the 1992 Olympics, Barcelona, is just an hour away by bus, and has many interesting attractions such as the Gandhi cathedral which is still being built after hundreds of years! I wonder if they'll ever finish it?!
Overall, Salou is well worth a visit but I would advise you to visit slightly out-of-season as my family and I did, as you will find it is quieter, cooler, and cheaper to travel, and will therefore enjoy it much more.
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Jul 22nd, 2000
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